Soft and Silky Style

This month I’m sharing my second make
of a previous Sewing Pattern – the Burda 6732 relaxed fit dress.

My last version of this dress was in a bold lobster batik print and I loved
the fit, although my fabric choice was fairly stiff so not so
suitable for casual daywear.

I found this Jersey Fabric (a grey textured
Ponte Roma Stretch Jersey) while trawling Minerva Crafts for
inspiration (a favourite pastime of mine). When I bought it I hadn’t
even decided what I was going to sew but I thought it looked so so
wearable and soft… and I was right.

The Burda 6732 pattern includes two
versions of the same loose-fitting dress with variations on sleeve,
neckline, and pockets. It’s a fairly simple and classic shape so
it’s really all about the fabric choice to dramatically change the
style. As my Rock Lobster dress felt quite formal I decided to go
with the more casual variation (design B) which includes longer
loose-fitting sleeves, a V-neck and big patch pockets. I should
mention that I ended up leaving out the pockets again – I am a huge
fan of a pocket on a dress but I just wasn’t feeling it this time
round.

I love this fabric – it’s super
soft just feels gorgeous to work with. I love the textured effect
and the fact there’s some really soft pink tones hidden in the
grey. I knew from the moment I started sewing this was going to be a
hit!

The only part of
this design I have a big old question mark over is the belt. Both
times I’ve sewn this dress I’ve tried running nylon cord and
ribbon through the waist to cinch in the final shape. Both times
I’ve felt the final effect was either a little doll-like… or was
channelling hessian sack (mainly when I used cord – I should have
known better). The design on the front of the pattern uses ribbon
and looks great so I think this may be more down to personal taste
and/or colour choices. I think I’ve now found a ribbon tone I’m
happy with (silver on grey – perfect for May) but I’m planning to
make a more structured belt using black necklace cord and macramé
style knotting so I have another option.

When I completed the dress I tried it
on and the sleeves were huge. They are designed to be quite loose
and flowing and in a lighter fabric look great but with the jersey I
felt like they added a lot of width to my final silhouette. I
decided to make them a much closer fit and as you can see in the
photo I took about 4 inches off the sleeve in total. I am really
happy with the outcome - particularly as I made the adjustment in
about ten minutes one morning before work (it could have gone
horribly wrong…). I’ve already worn this dress 3 times since
finishing it – so a big thumbs up from me.